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December 23
It is the first day of the Winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere, the last day of the spring season. Events *1493 - Georg Alt's German translation of Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle is published. *1783 - George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. *1793 - The Battle of Savenay, decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in Revolt in the Vendée during the French Revolution. *1823 - The poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (AKA The Night Before Christmas) is published in the Sentinel. *1888 - Vincent van Gogh cuts off the lower part of his left ear, takes it to a brothel, and gives it to a prostitute named Rachel. *1911 - Stanislavski and Craig's seminal [[Wikipedia:The MAT production of Hamlet|production of Hamlet]] opened at the Moscow Arts Theatre. *1913 - The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve. *1914 - World War I: The Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo. *1916 - World War I: Battle of Magdhaba - Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in Egypt's Sinai peninsula. *1921 - Visva-Bharati University inaugurated. *1936 - Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty. *1937 - First flight of the Vickers Wellington bomber. *1938 - South Africa Discovery of the first modern coelacanth. *1940 - World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis (Υ-2) sinks the Italian motor ship Antonietta. *1941 - World War II: Japanese Imperial Army occupied Wake Island. *1947 - The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories. *1948 - Seven Japanese convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East were executed at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo. *1954 - The first human kidney transplant is performed by Dr. Joseph E. Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. *1958 - Dedication of Tokyo Tower, world's highest self-supporting iron tower. * 1972 - The Nicaraguan capital of Managua is struck by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake, killing more than 10,000. * 1972 - The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism. * 1972 - The Pittsburgh Steelers win their first ever post-season NFL game, defeating the Oakland Raiders 13-7, on a last second play that would become known as The Immaculate Reception. *1979 - Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital. *1982 - The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces it has identified dangerous levels of dioxin in the soil of Times Beach. *1986 - Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California and becomes the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world. *1990 - History of Slovenia: 88% of Slovenia's population vote for independence from Yugoslavia in a referendum. *2002 - A MQ-1 Predator was shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25, making it the first time in history an aircraft and an unmanned drone had engaged in combat. *2004 - Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean is hit by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake. *2005 - Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan crashed shortly after takeoff killing 23 people. * 2005 - Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18th attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead. Births * 245- Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra *1173 - Louis I (d. 1231) *1513 - Thomas Smith, English diplomat and scholar (d. 1577) *1537 - King John III of Sweden (d. 1592) *1582 - Severo Bonini, Italian composer (d. 1663) *1597 - Martin Opitz von Boberfeld, German poet (d. 1639) *1613 - Carl Gustaf Wrangel, Swedish soldier (d. 1676) *1621 - Edmund Berry Godfrey, English magistrate (d. 1678) * 1621 - Heneage Finch, Lord Chancellor of England (d. 1682) *1689 - Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, French composer (d. 1755) *1732 - Richard Arkwright, English industrialist and inventor (d. 1792) *1743 - Ippolit Bogdanovich, Russian poet (d. 1803) *1750 - King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (d. 1827) *1777 - Tsar Alexander I of Russia (d. 1825) *1790 - Jean François Champollion, French Egyptologist (d. 1832) *1804 - Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, French literary critic (d. 1869) *1805 - Joseph Smith (1805-1844), American founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints *1819 - Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman (d. 1889) *1822 - Wilhelm Bauer, German engineer (d. 1875) *1843 - Richard Conner, American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient (d. 1924) *1854 - Henry B. Guppy, British botanist (d. 1926) *1864 - Zorka of Montenegro, Princess of Serbia (d. 1890) *1867 - Madam C.J. Walker, American philanthropist and tycoon(d. 1919) *1878 - Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-born mechanical engineer (d. 1972) *1885 - Pierre Brissaud, French artist (d. 1964) *1891 - Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (d. 1956) *1900 - Otto Soglow, American comics artist (d. 1975) *1902 - Norman Maclean, American author (d. 1990) *1907 - Avraham Stern, Polish-born Zionist leader (d. 1942) *1908 - Yousuf Karsh, Turkish-born, Canadian portrait photographer (d. 2002) *1911 - Niels Kaj Jerne, English-born immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1994) * 1911 - James Gregory, American actor (d. 2002) *1918 - Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany * 1918 - José Greco, Italian-born flamenco dancer (d. 2001) *1921 - Guy Beaulne, French Canadian actor and theatre director (d. 2001) *1922 - Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete and musician (d. 2001) *1923 - Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist * 1923 - Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor * 1923 - James Stockdale, U.S. Navy admiral (d. 2005) * 1923 - Onofre Marimón, Argentine racing driver (d. 1954) *1926 - Robert Bly, American poet *1928 - Chronis Aidonidis, Greek singer *1929 - Chet Baker, American jazz trumpet player (d. 1988) *1931 - Ronnie Schell, American actor *1933 - Akihito, Emperor of Japan *1935 - Paul Hornung, American football player * 1935 - Esther Phillips, American singer (d. 1984) *1936 - Frederic Forrest, American actor *1937 - Barney Rosenzweig, American television producer *1938 - Bob Kahn, American Internet pioneer *1940 - Jorma Kaukonen, American musician * 1940 - Robert Labine, former mayor of old city of Gatineau * 1940 - Eugene Record, American singer (The Chi-Lites) (d. 2005) *1941 - Tim Hardin, American musician (d. 1980) *1942 - John Peterman, American fashion designer *1943 - Mikhail Gromov, Russian-born mathematician * 1943 - Harry Shearer, American actor * 1943 - Ron Allen, baseball player * 1943 - Elizabeth Hartman, American actress (d. 1987) * 1943 - Silvia Sommerlath, Queen of Sweden *1944 - Wesley Clark, U.S. general and NATO Supreme Allied Commander *1945 - Ron Bushy, American drummer (Iron Butterfly) *1946 - Edita Gruberova, Slovak operatic soprano * 1946 - Susan Lucci, American actress *1947 – Heikki Lahtinen, Finnish race walker *1948 - Jack Ham, American football player *1949 - Adrian Belew, American musician *1950 - Michael C. Burgess, American politician *1950 - Ilchi Lee, Korean educator and author *1951 - Anthony Phillips, British guitarist (Genesis) *1952 - William Kristol, American political commentator *1956 - Dave Murray, English guitarist (Iron Maiden) * 1956 - Michele Alboreto, Italian Formula one driver (d. 2001) *1957 - Dan Bigras, Canadian singer * 1957 - Trisha Goddard, English television presenter *1958 - Victoria Williams, American singer * 1958 - Joan Severance, American actress *1959 - Geoff Willis, British engineer *1961 - Carol Smillie, British television personality *1962 - Keiji Muto, Japanese professional wrestler * 1962 - Bertrand Gachot, Belgian racing driver *1963 - Jim Harbaugh, American football player * 1963 - Donna Tartt, American author *1964 - Eddie Vedder, American musician (Pearl Jam) *1968 - Carla Bruni, Italian-French model, songwriter and singer *1969 - Martha Byrne, American actress *1970 - Catriona LeMay Doan, Canadian speed skater * 1970 - Raymont Harris, American football player *1971 - Corey Haim, Canadian actor * 1971 - Masayoshi Yamazaki, Japanese singer-songwriter * 1971 - Michalis Klokidis, Greek footballer * 1971 - Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, British socialite *1974 - Agustín Delgado, Ecuadorian footballer *1975 - Sky Lopez, American actress * 1975 - Vadim Sharifijanov, Russian ice hockey player *1976 - Brad Lidge, American baseball player * 1976 - Dimitris Mavrogenidis, Greek footballer * 1976 - Jamie Noble, American professional wrestler *1977 - Alge Crumpler, American football player * 1977 - Jari Mäenpää, Finnish guitarist and singer * 1977 - Paul Shirley, American basketball player *1978 - Andra Davis, American football player * 1978 - Esthero, Canadian musician and singer * 1978 - Jodie Marsh, British pornographic model * 1978 - Víctor Martínez, Venezuelan baseball player * 1978 - Estella Warren, Canadian model and actress *1979 - Summer Altice, American model and actress * 1979 - Scott Gomez, American ice hockey player *1981 - Beth, Spanish singer *1983 - Michael Chopra, English footballer * 1983 - Hanley Ramírez, Dominican baseball player *1985 - Harry Judd, British drummer (McFly) * 1985 - Luke O'Loughlin, Australian actor *1988 - Eri Kamei, Japanese singer *1990 - Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, American actress, model, and singer Deaths * 910 - Naum of Preslav, Bulgarian scholar * 913 - Conrad of Franconia * 918 - Conrad I of Germany *1230 - Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard I of England *1556 - Nicholas Udall, English playwright (b. 1504) *1568 - Roger Ascham, tutor of Elizabeth I of England *1575 - Akiyama Nobutomo, Japanese warrior (hanged) (b. 1531) *1588 - Henry I, French Catholic leader (b. 1550) *1631 - Michael Drayton, English poet (b. 1563) *1646 - François Maynard, French poet (b. 1582) *1652 - John Cotton, founder of Boston, Massachusetts (b. 1585) *1675 - Caesar, French marshal and diplomat (b. 1602) *1722 - Pierre Varignon, French mathematician (b. 1654) *1771 - Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, Canadian saint (b. 1701) *1761 - Alestair Ruadh MacDonnell, Scottish Jacobite spy *1779 - Augustus Hervey, British admiral and politician (b. 1724) *1789 - Charles-Michel de l'Épée, French philanthropist and developer of signed French (b. 1712) *1793 - Johann Adolph Hasse, German composer (b. 1699) * 1793 - Antoine François Prévost, French author and novelist (b. 1697) *1795 - Henry Clinton, British general (b. 1730) *1805 - Pehr Osbeck, Swedish explorer and naturalist (b. 1723) *1834 - Thomas Malthus, English demographer and economist (b. 1766) *1846 - Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, French naturalist (b. 1780) *1902 - Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1821) *1912 - Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist (b. 1850) *1931 - Wilson Bentley, American scientist *1939 - Anthony Fokker, Dutch aircraft manufacturer (b. 1890) *1946 - John A. Sampson, American gynecologist (b. 1873) *1948 - Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan (hanged) (b. 1884) * 1948 - Akira Muto, Japanese army commander (hanged) (b. 1883) *1953 - Lavrenty Beria, Soviet Communist leader (b. 1899) *1954 - René Iché, French sculptor (b. 1897) *1970 - Charles Ruggles, American actor (b. 1886) *1972 - Andrei Tupolev, Soviet aircraft designer (b. 1888) *1973 - Charles Atlas, Italian-born bodybuilder (b. 1892) * 1973 - Irna Phillips, American television writer, director, and producer (b. 1901) *1979 - Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (b. 1898) *1982 - Jack Webb, American actor, producer, and director (b. 1920) *1983 - Colin Middleton, Northern Irish artist (b. 1910) *1992 - Vincent Fourcade, French American interior designer and socialite (b. 1934) * 1992 - Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (Funkadelic) (b. 1950) *1994 - Sebastian Shaw, English actor (b. 1905) *1997 - Stanley Cortez, American cinematographer (b. 1908) *2000 - Noor Jehan, Mallika-e-Tarranum (Queen of Melody) (b. 1926) * 2000 - Billy Barty, American actor (b. 1924) * 2000 - Victor Borge, Danish-born comedian and pianist (b. 1909) *2004 - P. V. Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister of India (b. 1921) *2005 - Norman D. Vaughan, polar explorer and dogsled driver (b. 1905) * 2005 - Lajos Baróti, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. 1914) *2006 - Charlie Drake, English comedian (b. 1925) * 2006 - Marilyn Waltz, American actress, model & Playboy Playmate (b. 1931) Holidays and observances *Roman festivals - Larentalia, a festival in honour of Larenta *R.C. Saints - O Emmanuel, John Cantius ; Thorlac Thorhallsson, patron saint of Iceland *Japan - The Emperor's Birthday - Birthday of Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan *Ancient Latvia - Ziemassvētki held *Sweden - Birthday of Queen Silvia, an official flag day *Oaxaca - Night of the Radishes *Secular humanism (American) - HumanLight observed *Saint Abassad, in the Coptic Church *Saint Psote, in the Coptic Church *Festivus, a holiday made popular by the sitcom Seinfeld. External links * BBC: On This Day * * On This Day in Canada ---- Category:December